Grandad's Flight Log

My Great Grandad was born on 18 November 1922. He joined the RAF in 1940, when he was 18 years old.

In August 1941, he was posted overseas. He sailed to Canada, then travelled to Chicago and on to Ponca City, Oklahoma for training. He undertook his first flight on 29 August 1941 and his first solo flight on 15 September 1941. On 22 January 1942 he was promoted to Sgt.

He returned to England in February 1942 and in May 1942 undertook his first Spitfire flight.

In January 1943 he has posted to Orkney and on 24 March 1943, he shot down a German Junker Ju 88. A funeral was held for the German pilot who was killed.

On 24 November 1943, he boarded the Queen Mary and sailed to New York. He travelled across the USA by train to San Francisco where he boarded another ship. He arrived in Townsville, Queensland on 1 January 1944. He remained in Australia during 1944 travelling between Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin.